Sat - April 19, 2008

About Science


It was the night of the eclipse, and I was on my way to pick up Julia. Her shift at Shoppers ended at 10 pm, the very moment of totality.

Posted at 06:30 PM     Read More  

Mon - April 7, 2008

Whatever happened to Anti-Globalisation?


I've always been more than a little confused by the anti-globalisation movement. Peter (aka The Plump and Gadgie) addresses that perplexity in his post this morning, while grieving the disappearance of a voice for global justice.

Posted at 12:02 PM     Read More  

Fri - March 21, 2008

An Easter Parable


While waiting in line to see the movie Expelled, a film about creationism and intelligent design, biologist and ID critic PZ Myers was, well, expelled from the premises. He left quietly, while his family and friends stayed and watched the movie, which includes an interview with Myers.

One of those friends was Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion, perhaps the world's best known atheist.

Posted at 12:53 PM     Read More  

Sat - December 29, 2007

On the death of Benazir Bhutto


In today's Wall Street Journal, by Bernard-Henri Levy:

They have killed a woman. A beautiful woman. A visible, indeed a conspicuously, spectacularly visible woman.

A woman who made a point not only of holding rallies in one of the world's most dangerous countries, but did so with her face uncovered, unveiled -- the exact opposite of the shameful, hidden women, the condemned creatures of Satan, who are the only women tolerated by these apostles of a world without women....


Posted at 11:08 AM     Read More  

Wed - September 26, 2007

Nova Scotia goes pink


The premier of Nova Scotia, wearing a pink striped tie, yesterday signed a proclamation, in pink ink, declaring an annual Stand Up Against Bullying Day. Standing next to him were the two boys whose protest against homophobia started a campaign that shows no signs of slowing down.

Posted at 02:09 PM     Read More  

Mon - September 17, 2007

Pink is for heroes


Two boys got over 400 of their fellow students to protest the homophobic bullying of a grade niner who wore a pink shirt on his first day of high school.

"It’s my last year. I’ve stood around too long and I wanted to do something," said David.

They used the Internet to encourage people to wear pink and bought 75 pink tank tops for male students to wear. They handed out the shirts in the lobby before class last Friday — even the bullied student had one.


Posted at 09:16 AM     Read More  

Wed - September 12, 2007

Anti-semitism, Islamism and 9/11


Classless over at the Popinjays posted yesterday on a new book by Matthias Küntzel, Jew-Hatred and Jihad: The Nazi roots of the 9/11 attack.

Here are some more quotes from the preview in the Weekly Standard.

Despite common misconceptions, Islamism was born not during the 1960s but during the 1930s. Its rise was inspired not by the failure of Nasserism but by the rise of Nazism, and prior to 1951 all its campaigns were directed not against colonialism but against the Jews. It was the Organization of the Muslim Brotherhood, founded in 1928, that established Islamism as a mass movement.

Posted at 02:16 PM     Read More  

Tue - August 28, 2007

'The affliction known as adolescence'


When Canada adopted the Charter of Rights and Freedoms back in the 1980s there was some debate about whether the voting age should be lowered to 14. There was talk about a charter challenge in the courts, but if it ever happened not much came of it. Today there seems to be a strong opinion to the contrary – young people can't be trusted to make mature decisions until around age 30.

Psychologist Robert Epstein has written a book challenging this view. The Case Against Adolescence: Rediscovering the Adult in Every Teen. Even though I think he's got the right idea I'm afraid it's too late to deschool society, and it's schools that are primarily responsible for creating immature adults.

Posted at 10:09 AM     Read More  

Wed - July 25, 2007

Plan B


If efforts to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are unsuccessful, and the world warms beyond our ability to adapt, there is a backup strategy under discussion. It involves floating a fire hose in the stratosphere for a rather long time.

Posted at 02:52 PM     Read More  

Thu - June 28, 2007

'Like Billy Elliot'




Via Nav.

Posted at 04:35 PM     Read More  

Wed - June 13, 2007

Software and Cars


While Buzz is pointing the finger at trade restrictions there are other explanations for the failures of the (former) big three North American auto manufacturers. Here's an observation from fake Steve Jobs, in which the ersatz Apple ceo explains why smaller and simpler is better.

Posted at 03:04 PM     Read More  

Sun - May 27, 2007

Ford Test Track Rally


Went for a walk this morning, along with 35,000 other citizens of Windsor and Essex County. My group set out from the Chrysler Minivan Plant and merged with two other streams for a rally at the Ford Test Track Park. The event was called to show support for local Canadian manufacturing.

Posted at 05:49 PM     Read More  

Sun - May 6, 2007

Excessive Puritanism


To the dismay of many Democrats the former mayor of Atlanta, UN ambassador and civil rights leader, Andrew Young, has come out in support of Paul Wolfowitz, the besieged president of the World Bank and architect of the Iraq War.

Posted at 10:25 AM     Read More  

Sat - April 21, 2007

Irshad Manji


The Canadian premiere of Faith Without Fear airs tonight on Global TV, 8 pm in Ontario. It's narrated by Irshad Manji, Muslim Refusenik and author of The Trouble with Islam Today.

Posted at 10:40 AM     Read More  

Fri - April 6, 2007

Swindles, Summaries and The Honest Broker


Another summary for policy makers was released today by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. This one was from working group II: Climate Change Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. They say bad things are about to happen everywhere, except maybe Canada.

Posted at 06:04 PM     Read More  






























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